It was a cold, dreary but fun day for The BCPF and me yesterday. Mary’s early, Underdog Records, Costco to find another record storage shelf (they didn’t have them but we ordered one from the online store), back home to listen to our haul and finally, Willows. Hey did I mention Underdog Records? Here’s the haul:

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex & Food – I heard some of the UMO stuff when I was making the Underdog commercial for The Less Desirables on Wednesday. This album hadn’t come out, yet, but I did go listen to their previous one and thought it was great. This one will have to grow on me a bit but it is a decent album. It’s on nice, heavy, “Pepto” pink vinyl, too. New.

Cream – Disraeli Gears – #114 on the RS List. I’m not a Clapton fan and really, I’m not a Cream fan, but this is a good album. It is used but in VG+ shape and is on 180g black vinyl. It’s a reissue but I don’t really care that much about that.

The Jam – The Gift – I have heard Doug Davis, yes, that Doug Davis, talk about The Jam before, as I have other folks as well. I was familiar with “Town Called Malice” but nothing else. The album is a pretty good listen. I liked it. VG+.

Neutral Milk Hotel – On Avery Island – I had never even heard of this band until about two months ago when someone was comparing them to another band (which band escapes me). What kind of name is that? I’d ask. Anywhat! I would have been okay had I never heard of them. This isn’t bad, but I just don’t care. I have it. The BCPF “likes” them. She’s not crazy about them but they’re her wheelhouse. VG+

The Connells – Boylan Heights – The BCPF let out an audible moan when she saw this. She was almost jumping up and down on the little step stool she was standing on. Okay, okay, I’ll add it. She was very excited about it. I listened. I don’t get the big deal but okay. I heard nothing “special” but if she’s happy, that’s what really matters. And, my pal Mitch Easter produced it! VG+.

Blondie – AutoAmerican – “Rapture” and “The Tide is High” are on this album. The rest is a little weird at times, but it was a great listen. It’s a fun album. VG+.

Leo Sayer – Endless Flight – I’m just a sucker for the Yacht Rock lot. “When I Need You” and “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” (which I know isn’t technically Yacht material but the former is) are on this and there’s a lot of my favorite studio musicians playing on it. VG++ condition.

Rod Stewart – Tonight I’m Yours – The first song I remember hearing from Rod Stewart (and knowing it was Rod Stewart) was “Young Turks.” I had it on 45. His version of Ace’s “How Long” (written by Paul Carrack) and Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman” is pretty good, too. Overall, this is a decent album but certainly not a “great” album. VG+.

Mott The Hoople – All The Young Dudes – #484 on the RS list. I saw this one from the back in the $1 rack. I was like oh yeah! I needed a little love. I cleaned it. There’s surface noise, sure, but for the most part, it turned out to be VG. This album also demonstrates how a Velvet Underground song can sound good. Let someone other than Velvet Underground do it.

Marvin Gaye – Moods Of Marvin Gaye – Beaten up and a little moldy, I cleaned it up and there was a little skippage happening but it was Good. It has been through it, I think. Of course, $1 bin find.

Freddie Jackson – Rock Me Tonight – Knowing songs from this album deemed me “the coolest white boy in school” when I was in high school. I am a sucker for slow jams and “You Are My Lady” is one of my goto slow jams (or is it jamz?). So, you can imagine my almost The BCPF-like squeal when I saw it in the $1 bin. Yep. I did. VG.

Not a huge haul this week. We’re saving money for Record Store Day which is coming April 21. Jonathan has already said he’s ordered almost all of the day’s offerings. That may be the perfect time for you to get back into vinyl. There are special editions, reissues, collections, and more. Visit the website to see what is coming out.

While we were in there yesterday I looked at a Denon and a Yamaha turntables. Each was over $500. But, they looked so danged cool. I’m sure they play great, too. But, not to worry, Jonathan has less expensive turntables, including beginner-/entry-level models. He sometimes carries new but for the most part, it is a used inventory. Great stuff, nonetheless.

Also, I use Discogs to catalog my collection and bring you “the Haul” every week. More than that, I have ordered a few things off the Marketplace if I am looking for something specific and I am noticing that there’s not a lot of them coming through Underdog (which isn’t often). Check them out, too.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Keep spinnin’!

—“Fab Five Freddie told me everybody’s high, DJ’s spinnin’ are savin’ my mind. Flash is fast, Flash is cool. Francois sez fas, Flashe’ no do. And you don’t stop, sure shot. Go out to the parking lot. And you get in your car and you drive real far. And you drive all night and then you see a light. And it comes right down and lands on the ground. And out comes a man from Mars. And you try to run but he’s got a gun. And he shoots you dead and he eats your head. And then you’re in the man from Mars. You go out at night, eatin’ cars. You eat Cadillacs, Lincolns too; Mercury’s and Subaru’s. And you don’t stop, you keep on eatin’ cars.” – “Rapture” (Stein/Harry)

Wow, we’ll get down to the last hundred after this segment of Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums of All Time. They’re clicking on by. And yes, I know it’s been since June since I posted the last one. I’ve been busy with the move and work. I’m getting back to it. The last segment was really split down the middle: three I hated, three I liked and four that I loved. Let’s see how this segment works out, shall we? Let’s get the 390th to 400th done, starting now!

#110 – Loaded by Velvet Underground. Well, it couldn’t have started much worse. I am so over Velvet Underground even being on this list. I’m about tired of reviewing the albums because it’s the same thing over and over: “it’s awful.” I’m thinking, though that if you had the same songs with others singing and performing it, it may be a whole different story. It’s not the songs that I don’t like, it’s the band. I’ve heard covers of some of their tunes (before knowing they were VU) and liked it, then I found out who it was. That’s not bad. And, again, the kicker is… I like Lou Reed albums solo, but this is enough to make me want to put my head through the laminated glass on the front of the new studio. “Sweet Jane” is on this album as is “Rock & Roll.” Both are decent songs. Lots of energy. I’m actually going to give the caveat that I actually thought all of the songs are decent, I just wish someone else was performing it. I think there was a lot of politics on the record, not political as in social sense but within the band, the production crew and so on. It was meant, from what I can tell to be more mainstream and that’s perhaps why I like it. That being said, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, I actually didn’t mind this record. I’m going to actually give it a “dug” but still wish it was someone else.

#109 – Aftermath by The Rolling Stones. This, according to Rolling Stone is the US version, which is a bit different. A different cover, a different, shorter track listing. They added “Paint It Black” at the beginning because it was the current single. Rhapsody (now called Napster) didn’t even include that on their listing. I had to add it from the Hot Rocks compilation. This was the first Rolling Stones album to feature all original music – no covers. “Paint It Black” has always sounded ominous to me and I’ve always dug it. Dark and foreboding; it reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 (where your Top 40 comes from). I do love me some “Lady Jane” which made #24. It’s a sweet tune with some serious harpsichord happening. “Under My Thumb” always reminded me of some lounge singer until they kick in. I know it’s because of the marimba work. I picture smoking jackets, thin jeans and loafers. I could be totally off on that visual’s time frame but it’s what I see. In my mind everything is faded like in the “Nashville” setting on Instagram. Some of the album is really good and some of it is filler, to me. Overall, it has it’s high points and meh points. It’s entertaining nonetheless. I dug it, for the most part.

#108 – Hunky Dory by David Bowie. This is good Bowie. Good Bowie, indeed. The album starts with one of my favorite Bowie songs, ever: “Changes.” A new fave, “Oh! You Pretty Things” is next. I never knew how much I dug “Life On Mars?” until just recently. The music hall feel of “Kooks” and the awesome piano stylings of Rick Wakeman on “Quicksand” and “Fill Your Heart.” I love “Andy Warhol,” too. It’s as weird as he was. Love the harmonies in that, too. I said it at the beginning of this paragraph and I’ll say it again – This is good Bowie. Now, I’ll amend it and say that this is great Bowie! Mick Ronson’s guitar work is solid and Bowie’s songwriting is shining. From the front to the back… genius. I LOVE this album. LOVE it. And this was the first time listening to it.

#107 – Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964 by Sam Cooke.

#106 – Rocket to Russia by The Ramones. I was doing something else and thought that it was one song that went on for 32 minutes. Good news/bad news? Bad news is it was The Ramones. The good news is that it was only 32 minutes. The longest song was 2:49. For the win. Seriously, I didn’t mind “Cretin and/or Blitzkrieg Bop” whichever one that was on here. And “Rock rock rock rock and roll High School/Rockaway Beach..?” I don’t know what people see in this, it bores me to tears. At least, though, it doesn’t turn my stomach like sad, 12-bar blues does. I do really like “Sheena is a Punk Rocker.” The rest of the album? Nah, didn’t dig.

#105 – Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music by Ray Charles. Glad I could cleanse my palate from the last album on this. Having recently watched and review Ray, I have a new appreciation of Ray Charles. Now, I don’t know how accurate that film is, but it did reintroduce a younger generation to Ray Charles. So, these tunes are right in line for that film. That being said, this is more R&B styled standards than it is C&W music, which is great to me. I prefer this style, and yes I get that it was very much country and western. It doesn’t have to be twangy to be C&W. I have become a huge fan of this style of music and Ray just takes it to such high places. I had to piece this one together on YouTube because it wasn’t available on Napster. Faves on this album were “Bye Bye Love,” “I Love You So Much It Hurts,” “Just a Little Lovin’ (Will Go a Long Way),” “It Makes No Difference Now” and “Hey, Good Lookin’.” I really enjoyed this album. Big DUG!!

#104 – Sweet Baby James by James Taylor. This album gets a lot of recognition and comparison to Carole King’s Tapestry (still to come, much later in the countdown) and while I do know that Stringbean plays all the acoustic guitar on that album and they were good friends, this doesn’t, at all, compare to that album. Wait until we get to that one to find out my thoughts on it. This has some good songs on it, “Sweet Baby James,” “Fire and Rain.” However, I’ve grown completely over James Taylor, NC boy or not. “Sunny Skies” is like Sesame Street’s theme, which is okay. “Steamroller” is that junky 12-bar blues that I loathe so much, but this rendition really isn’t too awful. I do like the inclusion of the horns. He does a pretty good rendition of the Stephen Foster tune, “Oh, Susannah.” That is immediately followed by “Fire and Rain” which is, in part, about a childhood friend committing suicide when he was in London recording his first album (this was his second) with Apple Records. Carole King did play all the piano parts on the album. “Anywhere Lies Heaven” sounds like he struggled with the song. It almost sounds high schoolish and it seems like he’s pitchy the whole time. I don’t understand why it was included on the album. “Oh Baby, Don’t You Loose Your Lip on Me” drives me crazy from the moment he starts it. Overall, it’s a decent album but I find very little about it remotely remarkable. I didn’t not dig it…?

#103 – Giant Steps by John Coltrane. Oh, sweet, jazzy yumminess. This horn is talking. There’s no lyrics and there doesn’t have to be. The lyrics are implied and formed whimsically from Coltrane’s seasoned reed. The horn tells the story, vividly. And he had some killer cats playing with him, too. I mean, Tommy Flanagan – Ella Fitzgerald’s main-most-man on the keys, the gone-too-soon Paul Chambers on the double bass and Art Taylor on drums. Most of those instrumentalists were mainstays with Miles Davis, as well. The thing about Coltrane is that I don’t know that I’ve ever heard a sax like that. I’m thinking about some melodic and rolling stuff that I’ve heard but don’t know that I’ve heard a sax actually talk to me; sing to me; speak to me. I love the dynamics, the ebbs and the flows. I think this is a fine and fantasmic piece of music history and I will say that I loved it. DUG!

#102 – Fresh Cream by Cream. There are things that I go into on this list that I just “hope” that I’ll like since it’s iconic and all that mess, but Cream is just something I cannot get into. I know they’re “great musicians” and all that, and I can’t argue that they’re good. I just don’t get it. It’s too bluesy for me, I guess. I will say the production is fantastic. The sounds are all lush and (until “Toad,” the last song) vibrant. I do like a few songs on the album, “I Feel Free” (yes this was the later US version with the original UK track listing with this song added at the beginning), “I’m So Glad,” and “Dreaming.” The aforementioned questioning of “Toad” was that while the extra-long drum solo is happening, there’s a sudden drop in sound quality. It may have been my stream, I’m not sure. But, it was quite noticeable. Overall, like I said, there are parts that I dig about it but for the most part? Meh. I’ll just never get Cream, I guess. Meh, again.

#101 – In the Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra. I can listen to Ol’ Blue Eyes any day of the week, any amount of time, and be ecstatic. I have loved listening to Frank since I was in my late teens/early 20s. This is one of his finest pieces of work and was recorded in a tumultuous time in his life. Who am I kidding? That was almost all the time. His lifestyle, while grand, was also quite chaotic. You can almost hear the ache in his heart. I make fun of Morrissey for “talking” his way through songs, but really, Frank does it, too. Yes, he sings, but it sometimes is a bit of of spoken word. However, it’s smooth and relaxing. I find I can work well, writing posts, working up plans, just working… when I listen to him (and this style). It’s good background music, but it’s also good to straight up listen to, as well. They’re called “standards” for a reason and that reason is because they were a standard inclusion for many people in the recording industry in the ’30s-’50s. There’s songs here by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz, Alec Wilder and the great, great, great Hoagy Carmichael. Some wonderful stuff, here. I’d own it on vinyl and I really, really dug it!!

So, this round had it’s share of ups and downs, eh? A few “loves,” a few “likes,” a few “mehs,” a compilation. Some of it all. I’m glad I heard the Bowie, Ray, Frank and Coltrane albums. Wow, the more I look at it, that’s Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra and John Coltrane in one segment with some of Bowie’s best work thrown in there, too? Hey, and I didn’t hate the Velvet Underground album. I could have done without the Ramones, Stones and Cream albums, though. I guess I need to do a recap of this past 100 albums and I’ll get to that when I can. I’ll try to make it fairly soon, I promise. Listen to good music for the sake of listening to good music and I’ll see you next segment and I’ll see you tomorrow…

Until then, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—“And these children that you spit on, as they try to change their worlds, are immune to your consultations. They’re quite aware of what they’re going through.” – “Changes” (Bowie)

Man, we’re moving right along on this. The numbers get smaller and smaller. Well, duh! That’s what we do with countdowns, dude! Okay, last time was pretty good, finishing it off with a bang!!! I enjoyed that. So, let’s move on ahead with the latest installment and segment of the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All-Time. Kick it!

#120 – Sweetheart of the Rodeo by The Byrds. I was excited when I saw it was The Byrds. Then it started. I am not a fan of alt country and “classic” country rock. This most certainly wasn’t what I was looking for with The Byrds. It’s really more like Hillman, McGuinn & Parsons. It’s not even good country. It’s like something you’d see in a “road house” movie. I can’t understand why anyone would want to listen to this. There’s nothing redeeming about it that I can even say, other than the last tune, “Nothing Was Delivered.” That was okay. I found myself checking emails updating blog posts while it played. I was glad when it was over. This is awful. Hated it and did NOT dig!

#119 – At Last! by Etta James. Thank you Etta James for helping me get that taste out of my mouth from the previous entry. Ugh. I love me some Etta James. That classic soul/R&B and yes, even blues, voice is smooth and powerful. Drips from her face and into my ears like little drops of honey onto a biscuit. She’s so powerful that you can hear the diaphragm inside the microphone cringe. No joke; she pegs the needle in many of the songs, especially in “My Dearest Darling.” I’m running out of adjectives and adverbs to describe how amazing she is. No one that has been to a wedding in the last 30 years hasn’t heard “At Last!” and that’s never a bad thing. She feels this music and in return you have no choice but feel it, at least as long as you’re listening. Again, I’m starting to ramble. This is a great album and you absolutely should get lost in it. DUGx1000!

#118 – Late Registration by Kanye West. I can’t stand seeing or hearing anything about Kanye West. There I said it. Now, that being said, this doesn’t suck. The musicality (at least in the beginning of the album) is pretty interesting and he’s not his normal annoying self. Jamie Foxx’s Ray Charles imitation is pretty cool on “Gold Digger.” I really wish Kanye wasn’t such a snot rocket because he actually has some pretty cool influences. And, I think what he’s trying to do with this album is respectable. I just can’t get past his diarrhea of the mouth; in real life, though, not on this recording. I believe notoriety, for good or bad, has an impact on people’s success. While it turns a lot of people off that he is how he is, some really like his outspokenness. And, as they say, any press is good press. His storytelling is quite intricate. Plus, there’s a few “skits,” scattered throughout the album, that center on a fictional fraternity called Broke Phi Broke, that prides itself on a non-worldly and simple lifestyle. Kanye’s “character” sneaks to do some of his “art” to make some money and also buys clothes and takes a bath. These things are against the rules of the fraternity. A few of my faves on here would be “Heard ‘Em Say,” “Roses,” “Bring Me Down” (featuring Brandy), “Addiction,” “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” (that features Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds are Forever”), “We Major.” There’s actually some good vocals on this album, too. It’s not exactly hip-hop but certainly not not-hip-hop.There are a lot of pop elements involved here, as well. I dug it and I think you will, too.

#117 – Layla and Other Assorted LoveSongs by Derek and the Dominoes. This album was released 11 days before I was born. I’ve continually expressed my dislike of Eric Clapton throughout this countdown, but on this one I’m going to be a little nicer. I think it’s because he’s not doing rehashed blues tunes and, for the most part, he’s written most of the songs. I had heard “Bell Bottom Blues” before but only in passing. When I actually take time to listen, that’s a great song. Later and throughout the recording you can definitely hear the Duane Allman influence. I especially hear it in “Why Does Love Got to be so Sad?” That sounds like an Allman Bros song to me. The cover of “Have You Ever Loved a Woman?” is exactly what I didn’t want to hear on this album. That rudimentary, boring and predictable bluest of the blues. But, then I was completely blown away by the cover of Jimi Hendrix’ “Little Wing,” which I don’t know that I’ve ever heard the original of. Yeah, I’m not at all a Hendrix fan, either. Surprise! Probably not so much at that. The guitar lick for “Layla” is very iconic and I’ve never turned that one when it came on. I was once writing a song on piano and thought it was pretty cool until I realized I was working, very hard, on writing the end of “Layla.” I was quite disappointed. It was the same key and everything. Oh well, darn you Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon for beating me to it! I totally wasn’t expecting “Thorn Tree in the Garden.” I was looking for some airbrushed man and woman walking through a field like on the old K-Tel Records TV commercials. I like it. Overall, this wasn’t a bad album but I think they could have left off about 4-5 songs and it would have been just fine. It’s the start of a run of mid- to late-’60s and early-’70s classics on the countdown. I didn’t not dig it, let’s leave it at that.

#116 – Out of Our Heads by The Rolling Stones. To be clear, this is the US version of this album. The UK version leaves off three very important songs: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “The Last Time” and “Play with Fire.” The Brits have a hard time, I guess with songs that were already singles being put on a new album. Who knows? Technically, you could call this a compilation album, but because the compilation is with songs that were recorded within a six-month period and included among other songs that were recorded for this collection, I’ll include it. Out of 12 songs, only 6 of them were written internally: aforementioned “Satisfaction” and “The Last Time,” “The Spider and the Fly” and “One More Try” along with and two Nanker Phelge written tunes: “Play with Fire” and “The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man.” Nanker Phelge is the pseudonym that the Stones used when writing as a collective (in this case it’s Jagger, Richards, Watts, Wyman and Jones). The rest of the songs are rehashed covers. While they’re decent versions, I’m not overly impressed. I found myself watching to see how much more time was left before it was over. So, the songs that the UK version left off, really is the only thing that is really worth my time listening to on this version. Did not dig (as a whole).

#115 – The Who Sell Out by The Who. I love the “radio” aspect of this album. It’s like it’s being broadcast. Since I’m such a fan of MadMen and Heinz Baked Beans were a vital part of the story line for a while, that’s great to see and hear them mentioned (at least by title). In the middle of all the silly (which I love) there are some really great songs in here. “Odorono” is fantastic as is “Armenia City in the Sky.” The Who sometimes has a difficult time grabbing me, on this one, at least from what I’ve heard of it so far, it has captured me and I’m really, really paying attention (and enjoying it). I could go through and pick my favorites, as I started out (above) and list them but that would be pointless. Let’s just say there are no fillers here. This is 100% pure, grade A USDA choice beefiness as far as albums go. Front to back. This is a gem of an album. The concept is magical and inspiring, the cover a hoot. I can’t even pick an absolute fave. It’s all great! The sprinkling of “commercials” throughout the “radio broadcast” are ingenious. I LOVE this album!

#114 – Disraeli Gears by Cream. This album was released just 35 days prior to the previous countdown entry in 1967. It features “Strange Brew” and “Sunshine of Your Love.” Psychedelic sure but bluesy-rock, too. I’ve come to find most of the psychedelic stuff is heavy with some serious reverb. And, most bluesy-rock stuff, I just can’t get into. Anywhat! The album spikes and wanes with me, personally. While there are times that Jack Bruce’s vocals are annoying with that falsetto, there are others where it’s not so bad. I just think it’s overdone. “SWLABR” is pretty good, I like that. The two hits, I like those. Overall, though, I don’t get it and don’t really care to get it. I don’t get the big deal that is Cream and I know I’ll get rolled for that. Damien or Ed or Eugene will nail me for it. I just don’t understand the appeal. Ginger Baker is a great drummer and Jack Bruce is a great bass player. Don’t get me started on the hack that Eric Clapton is. I did REALLY enjoy “Mother’s Lament” though. I listened to that one twice, after all it’s asked at the end of it: “you wanna do it again?” Otherwise, outside the first two songs and the last, it was a yawnfest. Did not dig (as a whole).

#113 – Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell. Okay. Another thing for me to get rolled about, but on the other end of the spectrum. My only exposure to Joni Mitchell was “Woodstock” (which I didn’t care for), “Big Yellow Taxi” (I liked the Counting Crows version better as far as I know) and “Help Me” (and I didn’t even know that was her). Again, not something I went out looking for and I had absolutely no exposure to it as a kid. Now, all that being said. This gal is going places! “Help Me” is on this album and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I guess I had never paid attention before. A lot of it reminds me of Lynn Ahrens’ work on Schoolhouse Rock but it was around the same time as this and yes, I LOVE Schoolhouse Rock. I don’t know if it was listening to this more laid-back stuff after the mostly crap that the Cream album was, but I really enjoyed this album. This is making me want to go back and listen to the aforementioned songs that I dismissed to give another chance. I like the singer-songwriter and folky aspect, but there’s also hints of jazz and soft rock in there. I like it. The whole album is great and just like The Who previously, I’d be amiss to pick just a few. I’d like to own both of them on vinyl. DUG!

#112 – If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears by The Mamas and the Papas. Some of the most well-known Mamas and the Papas tunes are on this album. And, really, some of the best harmonies you’re going to hear, ever. The folksters were very well represented with this album. It’s definitely a ’60s thing. I know I say this a lot but I can picture people listening to this while smoking pot, lying upon a heavy-shagged rug of avocado green or burnt orange surrounded by lava lamps and wearing pastel pink lipstick, mini dresses of white and pink polka dots with white go-go boots or plaid bell bottoms with turtleneck sweaters. Man, I feel I really missed it. That would have been groovy. Yeah, I said it. There’s not only the folk singer aspect, there’s genuine pop music at play. A Lennon/McCartney tune, “I Call Your Name,” is on here and they do it Beatle-esque justice, I’d say. Lots of orchestration, which was “in” at the time, lines the whole album. “California Dreamin'” could possibly be one of the best songs ever written. Yes, I said that, too! Their version of the Phil Spector/Jerry Leiber penned “Spanish Harlem” is quite excellent, too. I could see Ma Mère listening to this as she liked the folk stuff and while this isn’t Peter, Paul and Mary, it’s still good stuff! I like this album a good bit! Dug!

#111 – The Bends by Radiohead. This is my first listen of Radiohead since the VSS show. My opinion of most of the Radiohead stuff changed after experiencing that. Let’s see how it affects my opinion of it while listening fresh. “Planet Telex” is a great start. However, “High and Dry” is the embodiment of a fantasmic and stellar song. It reminds me of my buddy, Patrick and sounds like the way he’d write. He’s the one that did the entire Ok! Computer album as the lead singer and is the songwriter extraordinaire of Vel Indica. Thom Yorke is a bit out there but sometimes “out there” is where you need to be, am I right? Take for instance, “Fake Plastic Trees.” It brings a lot of weird imagery but you can picture it, every bit. Why is that I almost cry when I hear this song? I really almost cried listening to it here. I mean with lyrics like: “A green plastic watering can for a fake Chinese rubber plant, in the fake plastic earth that she bought from a rubber man, in a town full of rubber plans to get rid of itself,” how can you not cry right off the bat? And the way Yorke sings it just adds to the sadness, but beautifully, if you can believe that. “Bones” reminds me of some Love & Rockets; not a bad thing. Really, at this point, I should just stop picking good ones and talk about my least favorites. Okay, here goes. __. And that’s it. It’s a spectaculicious specimen of music and I’ll go on record to say, that I love this album. L.O.V.E. it!! Dug doesn’t even do it justice.

I don’t remember such a divisive segment in the whole lot. There may have been but I don’t remember it. There is the third that I loathed (Disraeli Gears, Out of Our Heads, Sweetheart of the Rodeo), while there is the third that I liked or didn’t mind (Late Registration, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears). That leaves the third plus one that I absolutely fell in love with (At Last!, The Who Sell Out, Court and Spark and The Bends). It was a weird, but rewarding segment, I’ll say. And, as I get closer to the top, I’m sure I’ll be conflicted with why some of the entries are where they are vs. should they even be on the list. We’ll see. Until then… I’m out.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—“She lives with a broken man, a cracked polystyrene man, who just crumbles and burns. He used to do surgery for girls in the eighties, but gravity always wins.” – “Fake Plastic Trees” (Radiohead)

We will move to the outer fringe of the 200s on this stint of Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time. Last time was an overall good session, so here’s hoping the same for this one. Let’s hit it!

#210 – Everybody Knows This is Nowhere by Neil Young. I’ve grown a better appreciation (overall, at least) of Neil Young with this list. This is no exception. “Cinnamon Girl” is a classic rock radio staple. “Round & Round (It Won’t Be Long)” is a laid back folksy ditty that demands and deserves respect as a well written song. Again, it’s Neil Young so I’m not thrilled about the sound of his voice but it really fits these songs. The feeling of the song is somewhat haunted and strained and that’s how he always sounds. That is quite fitting here. “Down by the River” is anthemic, yet still, keeps some laid back qualities. But, those aren’t as haunting as “Running Dry (Requiem for the Rockets)” as that is some sorrowful stuff. I almost wanted to cry. Chilling, really. While I don’t love the final cut, I’m not offended by it or turned off by it. Just not my favorite thing on the album, which, overall, I’ll say I dug it. It has some good moments and some really good moments. Yep, dug!

#209 – Ten by Pearl Jam. I’m going to say this: Pearl Jam shot their wad on this album. Sure, there were some glimmers of good in later albums but not a single album they released after could “hold the jock” of this album. And, I’m also going to say this: I don’t really care for Pearl Jam. But, if I was going to pick them out of a line up my faves from the early 90s grunge/hard rock standouts from the Seattle area it would be Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and there was some other band I don’t really care about Smirvana or something? I don’t know. I’m kidding on the Nirvana thing, mostly but I still don’t like them. I know, too, that AIC isn’t really in the same category as the others, even though they kick the others’ arses. I own this album and I have listened to it so much in the last little bit, and the fact that we once reviewed it as an “Album of the Week” on The Less Desirables, I’m not going to really talk about it here other than to say, I dug it.

#208 – Tea for the Tillerman by Cat Stevens. I am three days older than this album; at least its release date. It was “born” November 23, 1970 and I was born on Nov. 20 that same year. I wasn’t looking forward to this album and I’m just not getting to it so let’s start at the beginning. I love “Where do the Children Play?” Yep, I said it. It’s funny that this album’s placed one place higher than the Pearl Jam album because you can tell there’s a lot of influence in this opening song on the way Eddie Vedder sings. “Hard Headed Woman” was surprisingly heavy for what it is. That’s pretty cool. Then, my favorite Cat Stevens song (which really was the only one I actually knew – and I like Mr. Big’s version better), “Wild World.” I just love the ‘careful out there’ message and the way its sung. “Sad Lisa” is just that. It’s sad and I know I’ve used this a bit on this segment, but it’s (yes) haunting. The instrumentation is amazing. Throughout the album, Stevens will surprise you by punching you in the face out of nowhere. You’re just not expecting that and there it is. I think there’s some influence for Jack Black here, too, because I can hear some of his stylings coming through here. I like that. I could go on about all the songs and give thumbs up for them all. Instead, I’m going to tell you that the only song that I didn’t like was “Father and Son.” I don’t know why, it just seemed a skosh sing-songy. To me, it stuck out. The rest is beautifully and masterfully written but this one song, not so much. Four of the songs, “Where Do the Children Play?,” “On the Road to Find Out,” “Tea for the Tillerman” and “Miles from Nowhere” were all featured in the darkly, quirky and strange film, Harold and Maude. I’d love to have this on vinyl. DUG!!

#207 – Abraxas by Santana. This album is two months older than me. I am always thinking of releases and stuff and this is stuff around my birth. I get hung up, sue me. Love the wind chime and piano intro. Then it’s the Greg Rolie keys coming in to get us in that Latin rhythm mode that Santana usually takes me to. Instrumentals. Aye. I am disappointed to find out that Carlos Santana only had a hand in writing two of the songs on this album. You know how I am about people writing their own songs. Especially icons like this. Now, I am not talking about putting a cover on an album or anything like that. But, this is almost a whole album of stuff that’s not his. Now, the caveat is that the rest of the band had a hand in writing most of the stuff. The exceptions are the two biggest hits: “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen” (Peter Green/Gábor Szabó) and “Oye Como Va” (Tito Puente). “Incident at Nishapur” is a rockin’ number that is written by Santana and pianist Alberto Gianquinto. I wasn’t expecting that one. I liked that one. “Mother’s Daughter” sounds like Rolie’s gonna blow a gasket in his throat. Not a bad tune, though. It seems that Rolie wanted to take it a totally different direction than Carlos. You can hear that in his songs. His songs are rock, straight up. I know he didn’t go out to form Journey until several years later but it just seems they’re not on the same page. Sounds good, though. The bottom line on this album? While I think it’s good and I am going to give it a “dug!” I don’t care if I ever hear it again. For what it is, it’s great.

#206 – Dirty Mind by Prince. So, I have a dilemma that I’ve never encountered before. Prince has gotten so uptight about his stuff (or someone has, I’m thinking Warner Bros. or Prince because of Warner Bros.) that he’s pulled it from all the streaming sites. He’s also yanked every thing from YouTube. This is one of the Prince albums that I don’t own and don’t know that I want to own it. So, unless something comes along that allows me to hear this album without having to purchase it, I suppose I’m going to have to abstain on grounds of “not knowing.” Hmmm. If I listen to it in the future (and before this entire countdown is over) I’ll come back and review it, much like I did with George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass. Here’s hoping. UPDATE: Yeah I know it’s not been published yet, but I thought it was notable that it wasn’t anywhere to be found. Anywhat! I like this album. It’s some serious funk. Well, it’s seriously Prince doing serious funk. Lots of keyboards and overdubs, which, of course, is because he played all the instruments except some keys in a few songs. While I like it, I don’t get why it’s this high on the list. I’m not saying that it shouldn’t be here, but why #206? So, four of the songs, “Dirty Mind,” “When You Were Mine,” “Uptown” and “Head,” all made the mega-compilation: Hits 1 & 2, which I have and think is a great compilation album. This was his third album and started to develop what he’d pull off in the next few including Controversy, 1999 and Purple Rain. Overall, I really do like the album, but still don’t think it should be this high. Dug!

#205 – Wheels of Fire by Cream. The first “disc” of this album I’m cool with but I’m dreading the two 16-minute songs on the second “live” disc. But, I’m going in with an open mind. I really do like “As You Said” and the spoken-word “Pressed Rat and Warthog.” “Politician” has a great groove, as does “Born Under a Bad Sign.” I know it’s blues but not like that mess on “Sitting on Top of the World.” Of the disc two stuff, as much as I don’t like Eric Clapton and especially the blues, this version of “Crossroads” is always pretty cool. After that, I’m wanting to pound my head into the solid concrete wall behind my pilot’s chair here in the studio. A sixteen minute drum solo? I mean, I like drum solos and all, but, jeez o’Pete. So, for the first disc, I dug it. After that, I didn’t. I’m going with dug-ish.

#204 – Modern Times by Bob Dylan. Some boogie-woogie Bob. Did I actually hear him mention Alicia Keys? The Alicia Keys? Hmm. I don’t get that, really. And I don’t really care for that song, “Thunder on the Mountain.” I do like “Spirit on the Water,” though. I like the jazziness of it. It’s still Bob Dylan singing but it fits here. Some more boogie/blues mess. If it was just the jazz stuff, I’d be perfectly happy with this album. The constant back-and-forth is annoying. Especially when the shortest song is just shy of five minutes. “Workingman’s Blues #2,” “Beyond the Horizon” and “Nettie Moore” are all great songs. I thought that “The Levee’s Gonna Break” was a bad Zeppelin cover, but it seems it’s an original. So, it’s a bad Dylan cover, I guess. The nine minute “Ain’t Talkin'” is kind of mysterious and gritty. I like that one pretty well, too. So if you take out the few “bluesy” songs this isn’t a bad album. I’d even say I liked it, or “Dug” it.

#203 – BAD by Michael Jackson. Full disclosure. I own this album. I love this album. I listen to it and have listened to it so many times I don’t have to listen here to review it. The title song, while simple, is quite fun to play on bass. MJ like Prince has a lot of revolving, recurring lines in songs. I know a lot of funk and soul does that. The hits “Another Part of Me,” “Man in the Mirror” (great message), “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Smooth Criminal” (another fun one to play) are all great tunes. They’re hits for a reason. But my favorite of them is “Dirty Diana.” I just love that song. I The hit I don’t care for is “The Way You Make Me Feel.” I never liked it. The hidden gems on this album, to me, is “Speed Demon” and “Liberian Girl.” I love the crazy run in “Speed Demon” and the feel of “Liberian Girl.” So yeah, dig, dug, DUG!

#202 – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme by Simon and Garfunkel. I love “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” or should I say I love “Scarborough Fair.” The Canticle part gets on my nerves. It’s hard to hear what they’re saying when it’s all a big cluster mess of vocals. I mean that in the nicest of ways. They don’t do cluster messes, really. “Patterns” has some powerful lines and they’re emphatic about them. It’s a bit Celtic in the overall. Still very 1966, this. “Homeward Bound” isn’t any exception. There’s that flowing chorus with amazing harmonies that stream effortlessly through the listener’s ears. Simon’s take on advertising comes through in “The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine.” I can’t remember if it was or wasn’t used in Mad Men but it should have been. It’s pointed toward pop culture and even the hippies of the Vietnam War. They talk Dylan, Stones, Warhol all whilst sounding like The Who in “A Simple Desultory Philippic” and yes, I had to look two of those words up! And, too, the Simon & Garfunkel machine is short and to the point. They don’t need five minutes to get their message across. They do it all in less than three minutes with the exception of “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” that comes in at 3:08. They even throw in a Christmas carol for good measure: “7 O’Clock News/Silent Night.” The song features an a capella version of “Silent Night” along with a news cast that covers the passing of Lenny Bruce, Nixon talking about an increase of war activity in Vietnam, the civil rights movement and serial killer Richard Speck. This album is amazing. Like most things that Simon & Garfunkel put out… Amazing! Dug is an understatement.

#201 – The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor’s “magnum opus” if you will. A concept album that slides from the top of the “downward spiral” all the way to a sad and tragic attempt at suicide. I’ll admit I got that from reading about it. For the life of me, it’s a bit too deep for me to get that story from this. I’d have to sit and read all the lyrics and I’m just not going to do that. Not in this setting, I’d have to be home with my headphones on and nothing else happening. This era in music confused me as far as “stories” go. I mean, I still don’t know what anything on Ten from Pearl Jam means. Vedder speaks in riddles in his lyrics as does Reznor. I know it’s euphemism, innuendo and interpretation, I just don’t get it. Now, that being said, I enjoyed listening to it. The songs were great and I’m sorry I didn’t appreciate it more back in 1994. I was still in my “this (excrement) ruined my music!” phase. I grew out of that but it took a while. There’s parts of every song on here that make it worth listening to. My faves: “Piggy,” “Heresy,” “March of the Pigs,” “Closer,” “Big Man with a Gun” (which, along with Reznor himself and Marilyn Manson, was the center of controversy after the Columbine shootings), “Reptile” and “Hurt.” I will admit that I’d much rather hear the Johnny Cash version of “Hurt.” So much raw emotion in that. It was one of the last things Johnny did, too. A lot of “Industrial” and heavy techno aspects on this album. I got into that later, too. I would prefer Reznor actually sing more and scream less, but hey, he has a point to make, I guess (even if I don’t get what it is). NIN was already on the map, I’d say this album burned a hole in said map. I even put this album on my iPod. How’s that!? I dug it!

Wow… nine ten “dugs” (or dug-ish). And, I’m a fan of Prince, so I’m thinking it may be ten out of ten by the time this part is over with. I have purchased Dirty Mindbut I haven’t gotten to listen, yet. I’d say that’s a pretty good segment and well, this ends the first THREE HUNDRED of these albums. Dang! That’s a journey. Two hundred to go. I’m starting that right soon. So, Dear Reader, look for it and thank you for reading all this mess! I really enjoy writing it for you, whilst learning how I do or don’t like things that I didn’t know, didn’t know I liked or didn’t know I didn’t. What? Eh, just read it slowly, it took me a few times, too. I’ll do my 300-201 retrospection in the next bit.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—“As I, turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat, this wind is blowing my mind. I see the kids in the streets with not enough to eat. Who am I to be blind? Pretending not to see their needs.” – “Man in the Mirror” (Michael Jackson), BAD